Proclamations Proc. 7264 Proclamation 7264 of January 11, 2000 Establishment of the California Coastal National Monument By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The islands, rocks, and pinnacles of the California Coastal National Monu- ment overwhelm the viewer, as white-capped waves crash into the vertical cliffs or deeply crevassed surge channels and frothy water empties back into the ocean. Amidst that beauty lies irreplaceable scientific values vital to protecting the fragile ecosystems of the California coastline. At ]and's end, the islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles off the coast above mean high tide provide havens for significant populations of sea mammals and birds. They are part of a narrow and important flight lane in the Pacific Flyway, providing essential habitat for feeding, perching, nesting, and shel- ter. The California Coastal National Monument is a biological treasure. The thousands of islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles are part of the nearshere ocean zone that begins just off shore and ends at the boundary between the continental shelf and continental slope. Waters of this zone are rich in nutrients from upwelling currents and freshwater inflows, sup- porting a rich array of habitats and organisms. Productive oceanographic factors, such as major ocean currents, stimulate critical biological produc- tivity and diversity in both nearshere and offshore ocean waters. The monument contains many geologic formations that provide unique habitat for biota. Wave action exerts a strong influence on habitat distribu- tion within the monument. Beaches occur where wave action is light, boul- der fields occur in areas of greater wave activity, and rocky outcroppings occur where wave action is greatest. The pounding surf within boulder fields and rocky shores often creates small, but important, habitats known as tidepools, which support creatures uniquely adapted for survival under such extreme physical conditions. Although shoreline habitats may appear distinct from those off shore, they are dependent upon each other, with vital and dynamic exchange of nutrients and organisms being essential to maintaining their healthy ecosystems. As part of California's nearshere ocean zone, the monument is rich in biodiversity and holds many species of scientific interest that can be particularly sensitive to disturbance. The monument's vegetative character varies greatly. Larger rocks and is- lands contain diverse growth. Dudleya, Atriplex-Baeria-Rumex, mixed grass-herb, Polypodium, DistichIls, ice plant, Synthyris-Poppy, Eymus, Poa- Baeria, chaparral, and wetlands vegetation are all present. Larger rocks and islands contain a diverse blend of the vegetation types. The monument provides feeding and nesting habitat for an estimated 200,000 breeding seabirds. Development on the mainland has forced seabirds that once fed and nested in the shoreline ecosystem to retreat to the areas protected by the monument. Pelagic seabird species inhabit salt or brackish water environments for at least part of their annual cycle and breed on offshore islands and rocks. Gulls, the endangered California least tern, the threatened brown pelican, and the snowy plover, among countless others, all food on the vegetation and establish their nests in the menu-
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